The size of average living quarters can be small in urban areas these days. Building smaller or collapsible furniture is only one part of the solution; designing furniture articles which serve multiple functions is a more effective way to utilize precious living space in homes.
Large tables, while necessary for special occasions such as dinner parties, pose a particular problem for residents of smaller-sized living quarters. The space taken up by a large table which can seat eight should be better utilized when the table is not in use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,050, Colquhoun teaches a collapsible table and bookshelf in which the sides of the table can be folded only after the hinges and the top rails are removed. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,817, Gutterman teaches an expandable furniture which requires sliding out of concealed support bracket when the table is being expanded. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,885, Hanson teaches an expansible multi-purpose cabinet which requires manual lifting when the cabinet is expanded.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a spacious table which can be converted from a table with large top surface into a furniture article that assumes a small footprint and serves other purposes. In this application "footprint" means the effective floor space used by an article of furniture. In the case of a table, the "footprint" includes the "shadow" cast by an overhead lamp on the table top and onto the floor space below.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an article of furniture having space saving characteristics, including ease of conversion from one use to another without any reassembly of the parts.
Still another object of this invention is to build a piece of aesthetically-pleasing furniture with the same visual appeal as its non-convertible counterpart.
Yet another object of the invention is to build a piece of furniture of great durability and with a freedom in the choice of manufacturing materials so as to ensure that the invention can be manufactured economically with various durable materials.